The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that the joint World Financial Symposium (WFS) and World Passenger Symposium (WPS) will have the theme of “Value Creation – Unlock the Potential”. The event is scheduled to take place on 25-26 October 2023 in Chicago, USA, with United Airlines as the co-host airline. The industry, now that traffic levels have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, is focused on rebuilding financial sustainability and addressing the challenges of growth, particularly relating to infrastructure and passenger processes. The combination of these two events underscores the importance of meeting customer expectations for air travel and achieving financial sustainability. Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, stated, “Bringing these two events together reinforces that meeting customer expectations for air travel and achieving financial sustainability go hand in hand.” Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, expressed excitement at being the co-host airline for the joint symposium, as it is a key event for aviation finance, customer experience, distribution, and payment professionals.
The WFS-WPS event will feature a CEO Panel, including Walsh and Adrian Neuhauser, President and CEO of Avianca. Additionally, the event will include five learning tracks that will explore topics such as passenger experience, airport accessibility, airline retailing, value creation, and protecting value. The sessions will cover a range of subjects, including the pathway to net zero and emission-free aviation, the value of ESG reporting, digital identity and contactless travel, aligning airport infrastructure with customer needs, modern airline retailing, the changing payments landscape, and leveraging technology to improve baggage handling, among others.
Some other highlights of the WFS-WPS event include the results of IATA’s 2023 Global Passenger Survey, an economic outlook, and an end-to-end Proof of Concept showcasing a seamless digital passenger experience from shop to fly.
For more information about the event, please contact Corporate Communications at the provided contact details.
IATA is an organization that represents around 300 airlines, accounting for 83% of global air traffic. They can be followed on Twitter at twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and useful industry information.